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David De Gea's saga with Manchester United is rumbling on. Will he become a free agent after 12 years or stay at Old Trafford? It is a question only his representatives and the club can answer. However, with what he has done for the club in the past 12 years, the fans seem divided on his status at Manchester United.
De Gea signed for Manchester United in 2011 as a replacement for retiring Edwin Van der Sar. Although he had problems settling outside of Spain, he quickly grew into his role at Old Trafford. His first notable achievement was the 2013 Premier League title. However, he was yet to hit his peak years at that moment.
The departure of Sir Alex Ferguson started the bad phase at Manchester United, but it made De Gea arguably the best player in the world between the sticks. From 2014 to 2018, the Spaniard won four of the five Manchester United Player of the Year Awards. Moreover, he won the Premier League Golden Glove in 2017.
The legendary status of a football player is always based on longevity, consistency, and trophies. If we look at Cristiano Ronaldo, he had the consistency and trophies at Manchester United. However, if we look at it, his prime years came at Real Madrid, where he also finished as the club's greatest-ever scorer. Hence, his legendary status at the club has always divided opinion. On the other hand, Wayne Rooney was a Manchester United legend. He won trophies with the Red Devils, gave his prime to the club, and finished as the club's greatest-ever goal scorer.
Similarly, De Gea has won every trophy with Manchester United except the Champions League. He has been a thorough professional throughout his time at the club. He has given his prime years to the Red Devils and became arguably the best goalkeeper in the world alongside Manuel Neuer.
After 2018, the Spaniard started having a few clangers in his game, which continued to be a problem until his most recent game with the club. Hence, you see fans getting on his case despite him winning the Premier League Golden Glove in 2022/23. De Gea's decline has been there for everyone to see, but we cannot remove what he has done in the club's first six to seven years.
Hence, the 32-year-old is a legend at Manchester United and will be remembered in the club's modern history. He didn't have the heroic moments of 2008 Van der Sar or 1999 Petr Schmeichel, but the Spaniard dragged the team during the worst phase in their history.
